Off to France, oui? It’s crunch-time for BVB not just in the Bundesliga, but in the Champions League. A somewhat lackadaisical performance at home leaves the Black and Yellows in need of an away-day goal to progress through their round of sixteen tie against Lille.

So, how did each side fare over the weekend, between their UCL clashes? Well, Dortmund suffered a home defeat to table-neighbors FC Augsburg while Lille locked up a 1-0 win against bottom-of-the-table Montpelier. 1-0 against the worst side in the league isn’t exactly vintage stuff, but it should give Lille a decent bounce heading into this crucial match.

BVB on the other hand have just received a verbal shellacking from their coach, who told the squad, in no uncertain terms, that their defeat against Augsburg would be the last of its kind if the players who were on the field have any remote interest in staying on the field. Whether the squad will be galvanized or demoralized after extra sprints and a proper telling off is something we will just have to wait and see.

Player to Watch: Lucas Chevalier

I’ve never selected a goalkeeper as the player to watch, but this match seems a fitting opportunity. Chevalier was the Man of the Match against Montpelier, with three saves and a clean sheet. Do you want your goalkeeper to be the man of the match against the worst side in the league? Eh… probably not. Nonetheless, Chevalier will most certainly be tested by BVB for the majority of Wednesday’s match. Dortmund are in the hunt for a goal, and Lille, for all their attacking power in Jonathan David, will likely opt to take a defensive approach to the match. Augsburg laid the blueprint for defeating Dortmund with a resolute defensive performance, and goalkeeper Finn Dahmen picked up a MOTM as a result. If Chevalier plays a good game behind a strong defense, it could be curtains for BVB.

Predicted Lineup: 4-3-3

The club announced that all players apart from Daniel Svensson and Felix Nmecha were back in training. Given that Carney Chukwuemeka is still recovering from injury, it seems like it would be rash to give him 90 minutes. Julian Brandt was the focus of intense media scrutiny this weekend, and it seems likely he will be dropped. Enter Gio Reyna, I guess. Beyond that, I’m not sure what Kovac will consider as smart rotation for such a serious match.

Prediction

Call me crazy, but I actually think BVB will pull through in this one. Lille are not in exceptional form, and if BVB hadn’t allowed them back into the first match, it may not need discussing today. Kovac has given the players their orders, I expect them to respond.